Profile
Many organisations want to use IT as a strategic business enabler. The realisation of this ambition is my speciality.
I am an experienced manager and executive and have had a wide-ranging international career in information technology in the United States, Europe and Africa, where I have added value for large financial institutions, consulting firms, vendors and academic institutions. I have helped these organisations with systems development, support, general management and executive management. In several instances I have brought innovative ideas to the table, motivated for their implementation, and project-managed those to successful completion, resulting in new business opportunities, cost savings, improved productivity and business agility.
I have an MBA from Henley Management College (UK), and I am a Past President and Fellow of the Computer Society of South Africa. 
As a by-product of my consulting activities I have successfully managed several research projects culminating in the publication of acclaimed reports.  The subject matter of these reports includes Outsourcing, IT Governance, Information Security, Financial Management of IT, Web Services (SOA), Business Process Management (BPM) and Mobile Technologies.  

Strengths
I achieve results by working through people. I do this by creating, building and nurturing a team that achieves results, and then removing the obstacles in the way of their achievement.
I am a skilled strategist. I create strong, implementable strategies by the simplest of means: talking to people, analysing and synthesising. Building consensus is the most effective way of creating executable strategies.
I am skilled and experienced at building capabilities and organisations from scratch, by conceptualising, planning, and executing.
I know how to approach issues with an open mind and a fresh perspective, resulting in innovative solutions and improvements to productivity, agility and customer service.

Professional Experience
2008 – Present                  Project Manager, Silvermoon Group (Belgium), currently at a major Mid-West Property and Casualty insurance company. The project entails the total replacement of all the core policy administrations systems, using IBM’s Insurance Application Architecture (IAA). To date, I have been successful in introducing project management disciplines and IT governance into this challenging project, which is using resources located in the USA, Belgium, South Africa and India.
 2006 – 2008                    Principal Consultant, Gartner Group, to the South African Government. My assignments included the development of a CRM strategy for SpoorNet, the South African railway parastatal; working with the Pretoria Metropolitan Municipality to create an Information Technology Strategy, and managing a massive project to refresh the technology for the South African Department of Home Affairs.
2000 – 2006                     Principal Consultant, Computer Sciences Corporation – Leading Edge Forum, where I added value to CSC and their clients by researching, publishing, presenting and consulting on IT Governance, Information Security, and other subjects of interest to the CIO and CEO of technologically aware organisations.

I successfully authored and co-authored several research reports and many white papers on Information Security, Web Services, and the Financial Management of IT.
I also developed and successfully deployed a Web-based self-assessment tool for Information Security.
I successfully reconciled relationships ESKOM (a major South African utility, see www.eskom.co.za) and Arivia.kom (a South African Outsourcing service provider, see www.arivia.co.za.) I set up metrics programs and service level agreements, as well as joint management structures, resulting in improved governance, speedier problem resolution, and impressive cost reductions.

1998 – 2000                     Technology Strategist, Liberty Group, where I was responsible for identifying strategic business opportunities in IT and initiating the necessary actions to capitalise on those opportunities.  As such, I contributed to the strategic planning process in the Group
In 1999, I was assigned full responsibility for the Y2K remediation, transition, business and technical contingency planning for the Liberty Group.

During this period I developed and gained acceptance of several far-reaching strategies.  One was a strategy for e-commerce (MyLife).  Another was a strategy for the technical and business development of Blueprint, a mobile quoting and new business capturing solution which increased the Group’s market share by 30%.
I also conceived, developed and gained acceptance and commitment for the concept of an electronic insurance industry information exchange.  This exchange aggregates policyholder information from multiple insurance companies.  It is an initiative set to revolutionise the life insurance industry in South Africa.

1990 – 1998                     General Manager, Information Technology Services, Liberty Life.  I was responsible for all data centres, local and wide area networks, voice networks, computer operations, and strategic planning for information technology.
My additional responsibilities included the management of security, conference centres, catering, stationery, mail services, building maintenance and furnishings.
During this period I consolidated two data centres into one, with significant savings.  I also successfully initiated and negotiated the sale of the redundant building.
Under my management, Liberty Life’s computer operations adjudged to be more efficient than the world-class benchmark group in an independent study conducted in 1994.
Customer satisfaction with service delivered adjudged among best in South Africa in survey by Wits University Business School.
I successfully introduced SAP to replace ineffective systems for purchasing, accounts payable and asset management. This was later expanded to General Ledger, Payroll and Human Resources.
As a result, I was honoured to be a finalist for the Liberty Life Managing Director’s Award in 1997.

Academic and other Qualifications
HARVARD GRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOL (1990) - Diploma in Management of Information Systems Resources.
HENLEY MANAGEMENT COLLEGE (1993) – Attained Post-Graduate Diploma in Management.
HENLEY MANAGEMENT COLLEGE (2001) – MBA -- Masters degree in Business Administration.
ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) – CGEIT – Certificate in the Governance of Enterprise IT